Shockeysville, Virginia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Shockeysville, Virginia
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 Shockeysville, Virginia
Location in Virginia
Shockeysville, Virginia
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Virginia |
| County | Frederick |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
Shockeysville is a small, unincorporated community located in the northern part of Frederick County, Virginia, United States. It's the community furthest north in the state.
You can find Shockeysville where Shockeysville Road (VA 671) meets Holiday Road (VA 691). This spot is on Winding Ridge, southwest of a hill called Shockeys Knob. Shockeys Knob is about 1,873 feet (571 meters) tall and is part of Sleepy Creek Mountain. Both the community and the knob are named after the Shockey family, who were very important in this area.
The Story of Shockeysville
Early Days and the Shockey Family
Imagine the year 1859. There were only a few houses scattered around what is now Shockeysville. Elizabeth and John Shockey moved here to make it their home. A man named Daniel Daily made a deal with Elizabeth Shockey. He asked her to care for his father, Samuel, who had a serious illness called Consumption (Tuberculosis). In return for her care, Daniel and his wife Mary gave Elizabeth 358 acres of land. This land was just for her to use.
Shockeysville During the Civil War
Just two years later, in 1861, the American Civil War began. Shockeysville was in a very busy area during the war. Control of the town often changed hands, sometimes almost daily. Nearby Winchester changed hands 72 times! Shockeysville was on the route for McNeill's Raiders. These were Confederate cavalry soldiers from West Virginia who often rode through the Shenandoah Valley.
In 1864, General Ulysses S. Grant ordered General Philip Sheridan to take control of the Shenandoah Valley. This valley was important because it grew a lot of food for the Confederacy. Sheridan's orders were tough: he was told to burn houses, barns, and crops. He was also to take livestock or kill animals they couldn't use. Anyone who fought back could be shot.
General George Armstrong Custer was in charge of all the Union cavalry in the valley. He carried out the burning orders very strictly. Soldiers from many Union states were under his command. Shockeysville didn't grow much during these war years. Most of the strong, young men were away fighting for the South.
A Story of Kindness in War
One time, a Confederate soldier was captured near Shockeysville. Pennsylvania Cavalry soldiers were taking him to prison in Winchester. Sergeant Files was leading the group about a mile south of Shockeysville. As it got dark, the prisoner slipped off his horse and hid in some bushes by the road. The Union soldiers started shooting, following their orders. But Sergeant Files told them to stop. He said this was a peaceful place and he was tired of killing.
Years later, in 1882, Sergeant Files returned to the area. He helped build Files Chapel Church, which is about a mile south of Shockeysville. His family still has connections to the area, and some are buried in the Shockeysville Church Cemetery.
Rebuilding and Community Growth
After the war ended, Elizabeth Shockey worked hard to help Shockeysville grow. Families like the Luttrells, Whitacres, Clarks, and others moved in near her land. Soon, there were about a dozen houses, a general store, a blacksmith shop, a grist mill (for grinding grain), and farm buildings. You can still see some of the old foundations in the woods behind the church's shelter area today.
In 1872, Elizabeth gave land for a church. She wanted the community to have a place to worship and a school for children. The first church was made of logs. Later, in 1896, a Post Office opened in Maggie Shockey's home. She was the Postmistress and also owned the general store. The house burned down in 1976, but the old foundation and a special monument called the Shockey Time Capsule Monument are there now. The Post Office closed in 1936.
The Fire and Rebuilding the Church
On February 10, 1904, Shockeysville sadly burned to the ground. There are two different stories about what happened. One says the church burned, and the other says it was the only building that survived. The church was rebuilt and finished in 1912. The cornerstone of the church, dated 1912, says "Bethesda M.E." (Methodist Episcopal).
Some homes in Shockeysville were rebuilt as the country entered the "Roaring 1920s." During the years 1872 to 1910, Reverend John A. Shockey was a "circuit rider." This meant he traveled across the mountain regions of Virginia, West Virginia, and Maryland, starting new churches. He was known as a church builder and achieved a lot even though he was deaf. He could read lips and kept working almost until his death in 1910. The church in Markswood, West Virginia, was finished just after he passed away. Reverend John A. Shockey is buried in Shockeysville Cemetery.
The Great Depression and the Church Bell
During the Great Depression in the 1930s, many people from Shockeysville moved to Winchester or Martinsburg to find work. But some stayed, like Naomi Shockey, also known as Aunt Maggie. She lived in the house southeast of the church. This area is now part of the 5 acres bought by the Shockey Family Memorial Fellowship.
Aunt Maggie was getting older and worried that God wouldn't hear the small group singing and worshipping. She had an idea: get a bell for the church! Mr. Newkirk was cutting timber on Shockey's Knob. Aunt Maggie arranged for him to cut the wood for the bell tower. Men from the community, even some who had moved away, came back to build the bell tower.
In 1939, the tower was finished, but it didn't have a bell yet. Mr. Newkirk also bought and sold scrap metal. He bought a bell from Clearspring, Maryland High School, which had collapsed in a storm. Mr. Newkirk's employee and other community members installed the bell.
The Shockeysville Church Bell was made in Ohio in 1850. In 1970, someone wrote to the company that made it. They were surprised the bell still worked because they had stopped making that type of bell in 1898.
In 1976, a group from the new Clearspring Maryland High School contacted the church. They wanted the old bell for a display. But Shockeysville decided to keep their bell. The high school put a new type of bell in their special display area instead. Aunt Maggie passed away in 1940, just a year before World War II began. The Shockeysville Church bell still rings today, calling people to worship and signaling the start of Shockey family reunion meetings.
Memories and Community Spirit
The author of this history, born in 1951, was the 18th child in their family! Their parents and oldest sister shared many old stories about family, local history, and the church. These stories made the author interested in preserving the past.
One story tells of Rostella and Grace Shockey's buggy trip to Martinsburg in the 1930s. Few people had cars back then. They went by horse and buggy to buy a dresser. With their new dresser tied down, they started home. As dusk approached, a sudden thunderstorm hit. Rostella couldn't control the horse. The runaway horse ran right onto the author's family's porch! The author's father, Harry Luttrell, just managed to stop the horse as it put its head through the screen door. Both young ladies were fine, and the horse got them home safely. Rostella later said, "If God had meant for me to have wings while on Earth, he would have given them to me." Grace, however, loved the ride and later traveled all over the world by airplane! Rostella (Aunt Bea) (Shockey) Mason became the Church Treasurer for over fifty-five years.
Another interesting story from Shockeysville happened in 1937. It was late fall, and neighbors were helping each other harvest crops. The Place family was gathering their last hay crop. Suddenly, a fast buggy stopped. Grandfather Place jumped out, carrying his shotgun and looking very angry. His son got off the wagon to find out what was wrong. He learned that Grandfather Place had heard on the radio that the Japanese had taken Shanghai. Grandfather wanted all the men to go home, get their guns, and go over the mountain to stop the Japanese! It took them 20 minutes to calm him down. He couldn't believe that the Shanghai he heard about was in China. He thought Shanghai, West Virginia, just over the mountains to the west, was under attack. Even after he calmed down, he still wanted them to get their guns and "put an end to all Japanese." Grandfather Place was a Civil War veteran, over 90 years old. He argued that they should stop the Japanese before they bombed the United States. He was ahead of his time, as he wasn't around four years later when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on December 7, 1941. These and many other stories of daily life in Shockeysville filled the author's childhood.
Caring for the Church and Community Today
In the 1970s, events and people inspired the author to help take care of the church. The author had been a member since age eight. By the time they turned 21, the church needed repairs. The author gathered brothers, family members, and anyone who would help. They started by painting the outside of the church. Ralph Shockey Sr. came and asked how the newly formed Family Reunion could help. From that day on, the Shockeys, Luttrells, Naismiths, Masons, and others worked together. They held fundraisers and yard parties to make Shockeysville better.
They cleared trees in the shelter area, built five shelters, and put up two metal buildings. They added siding to the church, installed a new roof, and built a new enclosure for the bell tower. They also dug a well, put up a chain-link fence, and did many small painting and repair jobs, including adding storm windows. The Shockey Reunion bought 5 acres next to the shelter area. Margaret (Shockey) Dunn also left 5 acres of woods behind the shelters to the church.
The small group of worshippers still meets in the church 137 years later. Elizabeth, John, Aunt Maggie Shockey, and many others would be proud to know that the community is still moving forward. Shockeysville has always had a strong will to survive.
Important Places in Shockeysville
- Shockeysville United Methodist Church
- Maggie Shockey's Old Homestead
- The Shockey's of America 1737-2000 Time Capsule
- Shockey's Knoll
